I bobbed my head in wholehearted agreement.
Risk was startled when Mum suddenly began coughing. Both Michael and I got up to help her sit up when she woke up and automatically tried to move her body upright. I grabbed her hanky and gave it to her, she pressed it against her mouth and coughed until the fit passed. Michael didn’t call for a nurse, he checked Mum’s vitals and decided she’d benefit from some oxygen so he turned it on and fixed the mask over her face. She needed the mask more often than not now.
When she settled back against the pillow I had just fluffed up, her eyes landed on Risk, who was still sitting in his chair and staring at her.
“Who’re you?”
The question snapped him out of his trance.
“I’m Risk,” he smiled. “Risk Keller. Lovely to meet you.”
Michael snorted and shook his head when Mum began to tuck her hair behind her ears and adjusted her nightgown with her shaking hands. I put my hand over my mouth, sat back down and laughed. Risk took her trembling hand when she held it out to him. She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand.
“Very handsome,” Mum told him. “Do you h-have a wife? I’m a . . . widower.”
“Oh my god,” I dropped my hand, laughing louder. “Mum!”
Mum didn’t pay me any mind, Risk was her only focus.
“Well,” Risk said. “It’s my lucky day, because I’m very much single.”
Mum’s giggle was so wonderful to hear, her openly flirting with Risk made both Michael and I smile her way. This type of interaction with her massively beat one of her coughing fits or when she got angry or upset. She relaxed against her bed, looked at Michael and said, “I changed the alarm code.”
I hated her wheeze, I wanted nothing more than to take it away from her.
“Did ye?” he asked. “To what?”
“Yeah,” she replied. “I know. I wanted the big vase . . . instead.”
I glanced at Risk and he looked at me, blinking.
“She’s very easily confused,” I murmured. “Having a solid conversation with her is rare. We just go with it.”
“Nurse,” she said to me. “I don’t need . . . help, you can . . . leave.”
I bit back a laugh at the dismissal.
“Can I stay a few minutes longer? I’m enjoying your company.”
Mum sighed. “Okay.”
She looked back at Risk and her eyes widened.
“Hello.”
I laughed again. “Oh my days.”
Risk and Mum had another introduction, then there were conversations about nothing for a couple of hours before she got a bit cranky and let Michael talk her into resting. When she fell asleep, I kissed Michael, and Mum, goodbye. Risk shook my stepdad’s hand and touched Mum’s. When we left the hospital, Risk was really quiet. I knew he was processing his reunion with my mum and I wanted to give him time to straighten things out in his head before we spoke because it was a lot to deal with, especially when you were new to someone who has a disease such as Alzheimer’s.
When we drove back to Southwold, I broke the silence as we drove through town.
“You wanna talk about the visit?”
“Yeah,” he answered in a rushed breath. “I just don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” I repeated. “What for?”
“For your mum being so ill . . . Frank, you have to deal with that every day. Her not knowing who you are, watching her get sicker. I hate that for you and Michael, and I hate it worse of all for your lovely mum.”
A lump formed in my throat.
“Like Michael said,” I looked out of the window. “We’re grateful for each day with her, the good, the bad and the ugly.”
Risk remained silent.
“She’s dying,” I said, clenching my hands into fists. “Her health is declining rapidly. She’s been in the hospice for two months now; the doctor gave her six months at most. I know her time to go is fast approaching, Michael does too. It’s just, if we focus on that we’ll miss moments like the ones you shared with her tonight. You know?”
“Yeah, Cherry,” I felt Risk look at me. “I know.”
I laughed then when he said, “How does it feel to know that your mum thinks I’m sexy?”
“Sexy?” I repeated. “I believe she called you handsome, not sexy.”
“Are you sure?” he teased. “The way she looked at me, she thought I was more than handsome.”
I tittered, shaking my head.
“Mum’s always been a Sinner,” I mused. “But it’ll break your heart to know that her heart has always been May’s.”
“Typical.” Risk mock growled. “May is everyone’s favourite.”
Before I thought better of it, I said, “Not mine.”
I kept my gaze locked on the passing town. Risk said nothing, which I was thankful for. The feeling of embarrassment passed when confusion took over. When we parked in the car park at Southwold Pier, I looked at Risk, who pulled the handbrake up and switched the car off.